Having finished necessary documents, the coffin was transferred to the Archbishop’s Palace at 180 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street of District 3. Thousands of Catholic people lined along Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Tran Quoc Thao Streets since earlier yesterday to wait for his coffin.
At 20:30pm, the coffin was moved to the hall for the Mass of Mourning Ritual.
According to the funeral agenda announced by Ho Chi Minh City Archbishop’s Palace, at 5:00am on March 16, the coffin of Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc is moved to Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.
After the Concelebration Mass of Vigil Service at 8:00am, Catholic people will begin to bid the last farewell to him. Then at 20:00pm of the same day, the coffin will be transferred once again to the Saigon Pastoral Center.
At 8:00am on March 17, the Funeral Mass will be presided by Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam. Cardinal Peter Nguyen Van Nhon is responsible for the Scriptures explanation.
After the Mass, the coffin of Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc is moved to the Chapel of the Saigon Pastoral Center.
Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc was born on November 11, 1944 in Da Lat of Lam Dong Province. He was ordained into priesthood on December 17, 1970.
In 1995, he was appointed as Vicar General of Da Lat Diocese. In 1999, Pope John Paul II appointed him as Bishop of My Tho. In 2013, he was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City by Pope Francis. On March 22, 2014, he succeeded Cardinal John Baptist Pham Minh Man as the Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City.
Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc passed away in Vatican City (Rome, Italy) on March 7, 2018 at the age of 74. He suffered a stroke after performing a Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. He was rushed to hospital, and drew his last breath at the San Camillo Hospital in Rome.
